depends on how many children in your group rubicon ?, and their age, absa got bigger area to play, last time at absa we had 10 children in our group..monis deck can be tricky with youngsters , but for view from rooms, togetherness, overall house experience etc... Monis hands down.

Anyone have any photos of this unit or have stayed there or any other info.It is the only family unit available in Skukuza for when we are wanting to stay there, but I would like more info before we book it.Especially with regard to the layout. Website states "Bedrooms 5 m away from kitchen. Open lounge".Does this mean that the two bedrooms are together (as in you don't have to go outside to get from the one to the other)?Also, being on the junction behind Papenfus Clocktower, is there even a possibility to have some privacy?

This guesthouse could be compared in a way to say the GC6 Guest Cottage (there are pictures on the site) at Skukuza which over looks the Sabie River. Struben differs however in that the 'central entertainment section' that joins the two bedrooms is only a lounge area (no kitechen etc), closed off at the back with some windows (entrance side from the road), with the front open onto the garden. In the GC6, the central section is entirely closed. So the two bedrooms at Struben are linked by a roof over the lounge area but is open to the garden. The kitchen is a seperate little building in the garden if im not mistaken.

Regarding its position, it sits right behind the clock tower. The new road that diverts cars down to the shop is situated just off the back of the unit. There is a fence to block visibility from the road into the back of the guest cottage, but with it being of lath type construction, people can see into the guesthouse area a bit. This being said you may too notice cars driving behind the house during busy periods.

I hope this helps. I unfortunately don't have pictures at the oment so Im sure there is a mite out there that can help you with that!

Hi Guys,Planning a trip for Spring next year. We love the privacy and brilliant settings of the Guest Houses and like to go up with a group of friends. Have stayed at Nshawu at Olifants and at Keartland in Lower Sabie which were fantastic. I am considering one of the Satara Guest Houses. Which would you recommend? I have heard that one has direct viewing onto a waterhole, but can't seem to find out which one it is. Not concerned about how many each sleeps as we will tailor make the trip to suit the accommodation.Appreciate your help

Thanks Elsa, Have read through the topics on the guest houses. Seems a toss up between Stanley and Frankel. Could anyone also give me an update on Rentmeester, which seems to be highly rated, in addition to Frankel and Stanley. What is it that is so special about it? The pics on the SanParks booking page do it no justice

LauraC I prefer the Rentmeester to the Satara Guest Houses. I would rate them based on personal preferences and experiences as follows:

1) Rentmeester – Good layout, well maintained, rooms are spacious and the house has a good Kruger atmosphere. What makes it great for us is the braai area outside overlooking the Shingwedzi River. 2) Stanley – Great view, the verandah is next to the fence overlooking the waterhole, good possibility of excellent sightings exist from the comfort of the verandah!.3) Rudy Frankell – The advantages are like Stanley above but to us it somewhat lacks the atmosphere that Stanley has.

Enjoy your trip LauraC and I hope that the guest house that you decide on will be according to your needs and requirements .

“Whether it's the best of times or the worst of times, it's the only time we've got.”

Thanks Grantmissy, good summing up. We have never been to the Northern parts of Kruger before, despite many visits. Think it is about time! Perhaps this should be a northern visit ending at Satara as opposed to going to the South again. What is the game viewing and birding like at Rentmeester? ...and how long would you suggest? We normally like to go for around 12 days, would 4 or 5 nights at Rentmeester be a good idea or 2 long. Last time we stayed at Keartland for 8 nights and Nshawu for 4 and loved it!! Keartland was a bit run down and a smelly loo full of bats, and the baboons were a real problem every day....but we ignored that. The game viewing was spectacular. Leopard calmly strolled to within about 5 metres of us whilst starting the braai on night 1 and stood and looked at us, then meandered off to the river to drink in full view. About 6pm in summer, so full light. Was mind blowing!

LauraC you will definitely see more at Satara. We prefer Northern Kruger but it may not be to everyone’s liking as sightings are less than in the central and southern areas. My suggestion would be to stay 4 nights in Rentmeester (great atmosphere and next to the Shingwedzi River) and 8 nights in Stanley or Rudy Frankell. From Stanley (more old style Kruger) and Rudy Frankell (more modern) you may have many sightings of animals coming to drink water in full view from your stoep.

“Whether it's the best of times or the worst of times, it's the only time we've got.”

Hi - have just returned from a magical 5 nights in Kruger - 2 nights in Nshawu and 3 nights in ABSA. The service and friendliness in both locations was fantastic - hats off to the staff in the parks board servicing those guest houses.

Nshawu takes the prize - excellently configured and maintained, in good condition, great cooking facilities and living area and arguably one of the best views / locations in the whole of Kruger.

While spacious and roomy, ABSA is tired, dark and a bit dingy and in desperate need of a refresh.

I stayed in ABSA in November 2013 for 2 nights. It is seriously run down and in need of a lot of maintenance. The staff couldn't be friendlier and more helpful, but the tools they're working with (to make a comfortable stay) are broken.The furniture is dated and uninviting, the rooms are dark and musty, the kitchen is old and falling apart. Being a very frequent visitor my entire life to Kruger, I am accustomed to what Kruger has to offer, but ABSA lets itself down on a bang-for-your-buck perspective.

Nshawu Olifants on the other hand (from the same visit) is a world apart and probably one of the nicest places to stay.

I was so disappointed in the JC Le Roux guest house in December that for the first time ever I complained to the Manager. He agreed that the place could do with a serious renovation and offered me a free nights accommodation. Totally unacceptable for over R3400 per night. Most of the family bungalows I have stayed at are better than this. I would check with the Camp if any improvements have been made before you go there.

We stayed at Absa in 2012 with our family of 10. It was huge. The rooms were large with each unit having its own bathroom. The living area (enormous) was separate and overlooked the river. The furniture was new when we were there. There were twin ovens, one of which didn't work, but the working one was fine. The outside verandah is provided with table and chairs and we mostly ate here as we could watch the Hippos in the river, right in front and see the Mongoose families running around. It was very peaceful and seemed like a little piece of heaven to us. The helper, who looked after us, was wonderful. That was a surprise as we didn't know we had our own helper from around 9-2pm. All was very clean.